


Eric's Celebrity Crush

by MaraMcGregor



Series: Celebrity Crush [2]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alicia Is The Best Mom, Celebrity Crush, Emotional Conversations, Figure Skater Eric "Bitty" Bittle, M/M, Meet-Cute, Mentions of Jack's Overdose, Mentions of homophobia, The relationship I wish Bitty had with his dad, alternate universe - figure skating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-05
Updated: 2017-04-05
Packaged: 2018-10-15 00:41:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10547096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaraMcGregor/pseuds/MaraMcGregor
Summary: A companion piece to Jack's Celebrity Crush. Told from Bitty's perspective, starting from when he's 15. Jack has impacted his life more than he could ever know. All he wants is to meet him just once.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own these characters. They are the sole property of Ngozi.

Eric was 15 when he first heard about _Jack_ Zimmermann. He had known about Bad Bob Zimmermann from his mother’s not so subtle gushing. But when he was 15, Jack was highly anticipated to enter the NHL first in the draft and on the eve of draft selection, he overdosed. Eric hadn’t watched draft night, he didn’t even know it was going on, until the next day when the headlines were all about Jack and his trip to the emergency room and guesses as to where he would go to rehab. He had come home from practice to hear his mom talking to Coach.

“Richard, I just - the pressure put on young athletes. It’s such a tragedy. And Dicky with his figure skating. How do we _know_ that he’s okay? It’s not like Alicia and Bob Zimmermann were bad parents. They are just as stunned as everyone by this. Richard, I can’t see that happen to my little boy. I can’t.”

“Mama? Coach?

Suzanne Bittle turned and faced her son, dabbing her eyes and putting on a bright smile. “Oh, Dicky! How was practice?”

Eric smiled brightly, trying to put the conversation he overheard out of mind. “They scouted me!”

Coach furrowed his brow in confusion. “Who scouted you, son?”

“The National Team! They said that my third place finish at Nationals was enough. I’m going to the Olympics!”

Suzanne screamed and grabbed Eric into a crushing a hug. Coach looked stunned for a moment before wrapping both of his large arms around his wife and son.

* * *

The next time Eric heard about Jack was well into the figure skating season. He hadn’t thought much about the famous kid of an even more famous hockey player. He had his own problems on his hands. Some part of him thought that _just maybe_ by making the Olympic team, that he would finally catch a break at school. But for some reason, the harassment had only gotten worse. Never as bad as getting locked into a closet all night, again. But, apparently this town did not want to be famous for men’s figure skating. Even some of the adults weren’t being as circumspect with their words anymore.

Eric dropped his bag at the door and headed into the kitchen. He wanted to be happy about going to the Olympics. It was a huge accomplishment, but the rampant homophobia in small town Georgia was pulling him down. He had moments when he felt like he was suffocating on the very air. Katya would kill him for eating pie when he needed to keep his weight down, but all he wanted was to lose himself in the familiar rhythms of kneading dough.

A knock at the door frame of the kitchen made Eric pause and turn.

“Junior, I was wonderin’ if we could talk.”

Eric tried not to let his nerves consume him. Serious talks with his dad were things he generally tried to avoid.

Coach Bittle sat down in one of the old kitchen chairs. The metal back creaked slightly, but held. He motioned for his son to come closer and stand in front of him. “I want to apologize. I’m not very good with communicating. You know that. But, it’s no excuse. I know what people ‘round here say. And I should have told you long ago that I love you, no matter what. Eric - Junior - I am _so proud_ of you. And not just because you are going to the Olympics. I am proud of the man you are turning out to be. You are kind and gentle. You go out of your way to help people, even when they only have ugly words to say about you. The strength you have shown your whole life is awe inspiring. You haven’t let the cruelty of this small town take that away from you or stop you from trying to be the best that you can be. I am so sorry that I have made it harder on you.”

“Daddy, you -”

Coach Bittle waved off the interruption. “No. I have kept quiet when I shouldn’t’ve. And I’ve allowed my own small-mindedness to get in the way of showing you the support you needed. I don’t need you to say anything about anything. But, I do need you to know that I love you. I have loved you and been proud of you from the day you came into this world. I gave you my name in the hopes that you would follow in my footsteps. That didn’t happen. And I couldn’t be happier. You are a far better person than I could ever hope to be. I don’t know how we got blessed with you as our son. I know damned well I don’t deserve you.”

Eric sniffled, forcing himself to hold his father’s gaze and not let the tears fall.

“I will promise you this. I will love you til the day I die. There is not a force on this earth that will stop me. When you go and represent this country, I will be right there in the stands cheering for you. I don’t know much about figure skatin’. But, maybe you wouldn’t mind teachin’ this old dog some new tricks?”

Eric launched himself into his father’s arms. “Daddy, of _course_ I’ll teach you everything you need to know before Vancouver!” He burrowed into his father’s strong chest and reveled in those arms wrapped tightly around him. Eric was pressed tighter into the hold when his father’s next words rumbled through him.

“I’ve been blind for so long, son. And I hope you can forgive me. I don’t know if you’ve been keeping up with the Jack Zimmermann story. But I know that if something like that ever happened to you, I could never forgive myself. I want you to promise me one thing, Junior. If you ever, _ever_ , feel alone or scared or like there’s no way out of whatever you’re facing, I want you to come to me. That’s what your mama and I are here for. We may not be able to solve everything. But Lord knows I’d rather know than not. Can you promise me that?”

Eric nodded. “Of course, Daddy. What’s that you always tell your football boys? As a team, you’ve got each other’s backs?”

Coach pressed a kiss into Eric’s hair, muffling a laugh. “Guess my pep talks make it into most conversations.” He let go enough to grasp Eric’s shoulders and held him at arm’s length, a warm smile on his face. “Now, I’ve heard there’s quite an Olympic tradition that your mama won’t approve of. But, since your old man is going with you, I can’t help but think I can wrangle some man-only time enough for you to get a certain tattoo. If you’ve a mind to.”

Eric laughed and shook his head. “As long as you take all the blame when she finds out!”

“Deal.”

* * *

The flight to Vancouver was eye-opening. He had flown without his parents many times before. But he had always been in a seat next to his coach and heavily supervised. This time, he was surrounded by other athletes and they had a decidedly lower bar for what qualified as well-behaved. Particularly the hockey team. He was entirely certain that most of the things they were laughing about were at the very least unhygienic, and he had some serious questions if they weren’t just all escapees from the nearest jail.

They spent most of it roughhousing. But, when they weren’t being the loudest people on the plane, Eric couldn’t help but overhear the whispers about Jack Zimmermann. _Isn’t it a shame. The press has always been hard on the kid. Can’t believe. Night before the draft._

He was curious about this kid that everyone talked about in horrified whispers. This kid who did something awful that had such an impact on his father that their relationship was actually more than superficial. Eric decided to shell out for the inflight internet to Google Jack Zimmermann. The first articles to populate were all about his drug overdose and endless speculation about the exact drug that sent him to the ER all but dead. Eric skipped over those. He had enough experience with the press to know that speculation rarely ever led to truth. Instead, he tabbed over to the pictures and his little gay heart nearly melted from the saddest blue eyes he had ever seen.

Eric spent the rest of the flight idly scrolling through past stories and a whole slew of stats that went over his head. He eyeballed the hockey players and figured that they may be willing to spill the beans on what everything meant if he asked during the next few weeks. He made a mental note to try to single a couple of them out later. Maybe some of the smaller ones. Or the ones with the most teeth.

It was when he stumbled upon a LiveJournal entry that he decided to put away the internet search. Possibly forever. He definitely did not need to think of the beautiful Canadian hockey god with a small blonde American in a coffee shop dating. It felt like he could easily insert himself into the description of Kent Parson and it was doing nothing to help his brain focus on what he needed to accomplish. Resolutely, he turned his phone back off and tucked it into his jacket pocket for good measure. Out of sight, out of mind. Sort of.

* * *

His daddy was the one to bring home the Samwell pamphlet. He left it on the kitchen table with it open to the section about the large LGBT presence on campus. They had enough people to support multiple groups. They even had a tag line: One in four, maybe more. He knew how much it must have cost Coach to bring home a pamphlet from “one of those fancy Yankee schools”.

Eric did research into the colleges he wanted to go to. He thought about going to UGA, but a large part of him just wanted to escape the societal constructs of the South. Every university and college was willing to give him an athletic scholarship. Just having an Olympic athlete as a student was a selling point. He would earn money for whatever college he chose. He thumbed at the red and white pamphlet and decided to look into his daddy’s choice.

It didn’t have much in the way of majors. But, he wasn’t really sure what he wanted to do after skating, anyway. They were a small Ivy and their men’s hockey team was the most notable athletic program they had going for them. Eric clicked over to the hockey team’s page and nearly choked when he saw Jack Zimmermann’s beautiful face. He was the captain of their team. Of course he was. So, maybe he had more than one motive for giving his daddy a hug and telling him that Samwell was it.

Eric had devoted his life to the ice and Jack’s eyes made him think that maybe this boy had taken the ice into his soul, too. Lord, but his heart leapt in his throat every time he caught a glimpse of him across the dining hall. He knew he wouldn’t be able to keep himself from flirting, at least in the lightest of senses with the captain of the hockey team. And maybe he had a bit of a lingering hope that Jack Zimmermann wasn’t as straight as he appeared. Fangirls sometimes had things more right than the accredited press. But, he couldn’t even begin to think about the love life he was missing out on until _after_ Sochi. He wasn’t putting his Olympic future (or his life) in jeopardy just because of a silly celebrity crush. So, he ignored every time The Swallow printed his chiselled face, strong brow, and heavenly eyes. He would go to Sochi, become an Olympic medalist, and then take a gamble on the certifiably most gorgeous boy at Samwell.

After Sochi ended up being around the same time Jack graduated and signed to the Providence Falconers. Eric tried not to be disappointed. He would never tell anyone, but he had often daydreamed about accidentally bumping into Jack on the way to Faber. Maybe flirting a bit and daring Jack to a race around the rink. They always ended differently, making out against the boards or at center ice, maybe in the bleachers, or in the locker room. Eric sighed and admitted that they all actually ended the same: with a hot and heavy make out session on or near the ice.

Eric groaned at his missed chance to even talk to Jack before he became even more untouchable. He would just have to hope that Jack did so amazingly in the NHL that Canada wanted him for their Olympic team. And that he kept his head together for the next four years and got to go back for his third Olympics. Eric rubbed his shoulder and grinned as he let his fingers drift over his tattoo. His daddy had happily taken the verbal lashing from his mama when she saw that her 15 year old had a tattoo. They had shared a wink and a nudge until she had stopped wagging her finger in their faces and admitted defeat with a “Well, what’s done is done”.

* * *

He couldn’t believe his luck. Or was it bad luck? Good luck? Eric had no clue what this counted as. But, it had something to do with luck. The Boston Garden was a disaster. Either the AC broke, or some fool who was likely getting fired at this very moment had turned the heat on. Eric hoped it was an actual mechanical failure. No one deserved that much anger coming down on them.

But, the truly amazing silver lining was that the Providence Falconers had agreed to let them use their rink. Eric rolled his eyes at the typical Bruins response. The “we are too busy and important for figure skating” line was right along what Eric expected to hear. He had honestly thought that they would end up having to hold Nationals in a smaller rink and refund a lot of the tickets. But, the Falconers came through with a gracious offer. Eric crossed his fingers that he might at least get the chance to say thanks to their alternate captain, Jack Zimmermann.

The week passed in a blur of adrenaline and nerves. It was amazing to him that he managed to spend the entire time at the same arena as Jack and never once ran across him. He was impressed that he managed to hold on to all of his quads in his free program while his brain was distracted about it being the last night of competition and likely his last chance to meet Jack. But, he managed to hold his wobbly landing, dug deep, and pushed through to the end. He managed a season’s best, which would put him in decent standing with the other world leaders at the Four Continents. Worrying about Worlds came later.

Gala practice day was always fun. He had been planning on a Beyonce piece, but he had done that the last couple of years. So, he had gone with something a little unusual for him and decided to give his dad a nod. And if he happened to know that Jack Zimmermann liked country music, what did it matter? So, he was going with _Cruise_ by Florida Georgia Line. What he really wanted to know was what exactly was Jack’s favorite song. Dear Lord, he hoped it wasn’t _She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy_. He wasn’t sure if he had the strength to skate to that, no matter how pretty Jack Zimmermann was.

So, maybe he talked to Katya and a couple of people he knew in the organization about properly thanking the Falconers for their hospitality. And maybe he deliberately put himself at the very end of the reception line. By the time Jack and Alicia Zimmermann made it to him, the rest of the hockey team had started on their ways home.

When Jack took his hand, Eric couldn’t contain himself. He didn’t even let the boy finish introducing himself.

“Hi, I’m -”

“Jack Zimmermann, as I live and breathe.” The beautiful lady at Jack’s elbow was grinning from ear to ear. “And is this your mother? Alicia Zimmermann, right?”

Eric took her hand with more care than he had grabbed Jack’s. “I can’t believe you’re here. My goodness. I spent two years going to the same university as this boy and I never once spoke to him.” He had always been a nervous talker, but this was getting excessive. His mouth seemed to have a mind of it’s own. “I have to admit, I was a bit star struck. I couldn’t imagine just coming up to you like so many of your fans. I know how intrusive it can be when you are trying to eat dinner and people just can’t let you get a bite in. Do you mind if we get a pic together?”

Jack looked a bit stunned, but Alicia grabbed him and manhandled Jack to Eric’s other side with practiced ease. Eric couldn’t breathe. He fit perfectly under Jack’s arm and it was doing things to his brain.

“Eric, Jack and I brought some things from home when we knew you would be here. Do you think you could sign some for us? You certainly don’t have to sign everything. Maybe just one or two?”

Eric had slightly rebooted his brain when Jack let go. But, he couldn’t quite grasp the fact that this hockey player and his mother had some of his paraphernalia. He pulled the first one out and it was from his senior debut. He had loved that outfit. Sequins in all the right places, the lines of sparkle making his legs look longer. And the position he was photographed in just emphasized the lines of his body.

Jack cleared his throat, drawing Eric’s attention back to him. “That one was one of my favorites, too. When you pulled that quad salchow-triple toe I couldn’t believe it. And the crispness of your footwork was astonishing. I never thought a fifteen year old could do such amazing jumps.”

Eric was flattered. This boy watched his senior debut. It was the same year as the overdose. Had he helped Jack as much as Jack had helped him? Lord, he was starting to think of things like fate.

“I knew you were at Samwell, too. I just didn’t want to gush all over you and make it awkward.”

Eric knew he was blushing, but he couldn’t find it in him to care. “Lord! You mean we could have met years ago and we were both so determined to not go overboard that we missed the chance?” He couldn’t contain his laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. “I’ve been hoping to have a chance to meet you. I’ve thought about coming to one of your games. And I may have been keeping track of your stats in the hopes that maybe we could meet at the 2018 Games.”

“You too? I always hoped to get to meet you on equal footing.”

And that smile! Eric thought he could bask in it forever. This boy was stunning on a normal day, but when he smiled it was startlingly. And to think, Jack Zimmermann thought he had to prove something to _him_. That he was in a position to be aspired to. His heart fluttered in his chest. This crush was going to kill him with all the things it was doing to him: heart, mind, and soul.

Alicia jumped back into the conversation, just when Eric caught himself staring for a little too long. “Well, Eric, have you ever been to Providence? I’m sure Jack knows a few places around here for a good dinner.”

Jack looked just as stunned as he felt. “Maman?”

Eric knew better than to accept this invitation at face value, for his own emotional well-being if nothing else. “Oh, thank you, ma’am. But, I couldn’t possibly intrude on your family time.”

“Nonsense. I’m going to head back to Jack’s apartment and enjoy a nice bath. You boys should catch up. After all, you spent two years at Samwell together. Jack could tell you about how he ran the lacrosse team out of the Haus during one particularly epic Epikegster.”

Eric couldn’t believe his ears. Was she really doing what he thought she was doing? If Jack’s blush and shy eyes were anything to go by, she was. She was officially trying to set her son up on a date. Well, never let it be said that Eric Bittle was one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Particularly not such an attractive one. “I definitely missed some of the more impressive Haus parties. They were supposed to be legend. Mr. Zimmermann, I do believe your mother has given you the mission of making sure I enjoy my free night in Providence. Surely, you don’t want to disappoint her?”

Eric tried to keep his cool when this giant of a man gazed down at him and offered him the choice between Italian and French. He couldn’t help but tease a bit, “Someone Quebecois recommending French cuisine? This I have to see.”

He made a mental note to send Alicia Zimmermann the most decadent gift basket he could craft in his admittedly limited amount of free time. He might even include his Moomaw’s special peppermint bark. As Jack took his arm in his, Eric nodded to himself. The peppermint bark, double chocolate fudge, and maple-crusted apple bites.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, Alicia is getting many gifts from both these boys. They just needed the push. And she has video evidence to enjoy over and over.


End file.
